Monday, October 31, 2011

Fun_hws.MaximumTheSpooky

I did a poster for school regarding spooky culture. Shout out to Theodore Rex, signature character from a sorely missed colleague.

Also did a bit on Lafcadio Hearn. The kids have no idea who he is, but the adults are all hip. I asked if it was okay to illustrate the story Hoichi, and without hesitation, I got a yes, as if I just asked to draw Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

I remember reading a Jhonen Vasquez interview once where he mentioned how his bloody, homicidal high school comics would be impossible to do in today's hyper-sensitive PC school environment, but by the looks of it, Japan's the place to go to get your gore on, and I mean right on school grounds, to boot. In retrospect, shoulda included Hoichi the Earless' ears getting ripped off rather than just the blood splatter...

To give you an idea of how this piece went over, a lady cooed the word for "cute" in Japanese as she poured over the detail. Young students even came by to watch me work on it, and I invited them to help me give Hoichi his killer tats. Adorable how timid they were while others were pumped to lend me their ears. I mean hands.

Ironically enough, in the land of cosplay, wacky treats, and rich supernatural tradition, Halloween in Japan is little more than an excuse to buy jack-o-lantern decorated trinketry. I write this post at about 11pm Japan time October 31, and nary a door knock has plagued my ears (granted I always have headphones roaring...). I literally had to explain trick or treating to the kids! It is worth noting, however, that a couple weeks before Halloween, I already saw a section of my city DECKED OUT in Christmas lights. Suck it, Halloween.

I literally passed out today at work due to exhaustion, but managed to squeeze out some spooky-oriented homework sketches. Yeah, it's a dog in a penguin suit and a pikachu wearing a Chopper hat. That mooshy sound you hear is your mind being blown.